PEIFA Today – Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Island potato farmers are gearing up for another planting season. MORE

Trade hot topic as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. pays P.E.I. a visit

Trade was at the top of the agenda for meetings between Canada’s ambassador to the United States David MacNaughton and P.E.I. Premier Wade MacLauchlan and his cabinet. MORE

The Burrows family – A love for dairy farming and for their Nova Scotia community

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is proud to present the book Dairy Farmers, Deeply Rooted for a Strong Future, which features, representing Nova Scotia, the Burrows family of Clover Crest Farm in Green Oak, Nova Scotia. MORE

Trump vows to back U.S. dairy farmers in Canada trade spat

U.S. President Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to defend U.S. dairy farmers who have been hurt by Canada’s protectionist trade practices, during a visit to the cheese-making state of Wisconsin. MORE

Environmental Farm Plan Renewals

The Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan Program sent out renewal letters in early 2017 to notify producers that their environmental farms plans would be expiring at the end of the year. If you are a producer who has not yet contacted the office to have your plan updated please call Matt or JoAnn at 902-368-7289.

EFP’s are valid for 5 years and we encourage all farmers to participate in the program. Participation in the program also allows you to apply for funding through the Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Stewardship Program, Farmland Finance Program and the Future Farmer Program. For your convenience the EFP can be completed at your farm or at the PEI Federation of Agricultural office and takes approximately 1.5 hrs to complete. EFP’s are no cost to the producer.

If you feel your EFP may be expired and you have not yet been contacted please call the office and we will check the status of your last plan. Further information on the Enhanced Environmental Farm Plan Program can be found on the PEI Federation of Agriculture webpage www.peifa.ca/efp/

Draft National Plant and Animal Health Strategy Ready For Consultation

FPT Governments, Industry, Academia and others have partnered together to develop a Plant and Animal Health Strategy for Canada to protect Canada’s plant and animal resources. The Strategy is intended to protect plants and animals from new and emerging risks by focusing efforts on coordinating partner actions to collaborate and provide a more effective approach to risk prevention, mitigation, response and recovery.

Chicago Mercantile Exchange live cattle on Tuesday spiked to their highest since mid-April 2016, driven by improved wholesale beef demand that may underpin cash prices this week, said traders. MORE

Mini Roast Campaign Creates £18.6M Red Meat Roast ‘Halo’

A high-profile campaign to increase sales using mini roasts has created an £18.6 million “halo” effect of incremental sales for beef, lamb or pork joints. MORE

China, Ireland Sign Protocol on Beef Access

China and Ireland on Tuesday signed a formal protocol on beef exports to China that paves the way to access for Irish beef to China. MORE

Kerala Retains Top Slot in Cattle Slaughter

Kerala’s appetite for meat has remained unchanged despite the din over cattle slaughter in the country. An integrated sample survey, published by the Union ministry of animal husbandry, showed that the state topped the list on cattle slaughter in 2015-16. MORE

Feed Research Centre Develops Feed Processing Method for Straw

The Canadian Feed Research Centre has developed an experimental puck shaped straw fibre based feed supplement for gestating sows housed in groups, writes Bruce Cochrane. MORE

New Study Offers Good News for Pork Producers

What happens when meat scientists get their hands on nearly 8,000 commercially raised pigs? They spend a year running dozens of tests and crunching numbers to arrive at research-backed management recommendations for pork producers. MORE

New Bacon Range Launching at Taste of Grampian

Visitors to this year’s Taste of Grampian food and drink festival at Thainstone on 3 June will have the opportunity to sample two exciting new bacon products which will be officially launched at the event. MORE

Activist misrepresentations slammed by chicken farmers

Chicken Farmers of Canada has hit back at an anti-animal agriculture group’s “outrageous and unsubstantiated claims” about brutal practices on poultry farms across the country. MORE

Healthy seed is a key factor in growing a quality potato crop. Several diseases affect seed tubers and they have the potential to reduce plant stand early in the season. Therefore, it is extremely important to examine all seed lots carefully immediately after receiving the seed. MORE

Big Idaho Potato Truck wins PR award for putting the truck on a barge in New York City

The Big Idaho® Potato Truck has been making heads turn for six years. The splash it made in NYC in August 2016 was so big it earned the 6-ton spud the prestigious Bulldog Reporter’s Silver Award for Best Special Event. MORE

Wisconsin: April Showers Dampen Progress

Another week brimming with frequent rains and thunderstorms kept the damper on field work across Wisconsin. MORE

North-Western European potato area estimated to grow by 3.6 percent

The NEPG (North-Western European Potato Growers) estimates the potato area will grow by 3.6% compared to last season. MORE

Irish Potato Trial in Guyana

A 90 day (Irish) potato trial in Guyana is currently in its eighth week and is showing positive results. MORE

Carel Pfaff newly appointed to lead tna’s processing portfolio

Leading processing and packaging solutions provider tna is excited to announce that it’s made an additional key appointment to its growing team of food processing experts. This further cements the company’s position as a provider of start-to-finish solutions. MORE

BEJO INTRODUCES ITS FIRST TRUE POTATO SEED VARIETY

Bejo has obtained breeder’s rights on its first True Potato Seed (TPS) variety. This new potato hybrid, Oliver F1, can be cultivated directly from botanical seed and, after transplanting, produces table potatoes in one season. Oliver F1 is a slightly floury table potato with an oval shape, a beautiful smooth skin and a very good flavour. MORE

There’s little doubt that in recent years Manitoba farmers have been getting the crop in earlier and earlier. MORE

Farmers adjust fertility plans after tough fall

While spring banding of fertilizer has become more popular recently, there’s still plenty of growers putting it down in the fall. MORE

Fear of feed expected to keep malt barley acres low

Concerns about weather dictating the quality of malt barley is keeping producers from seeding the crop this year, one industry participant says, while weak prices offer no extra incentive. MORE

Manitoba corn producers wait for fields to dry out

Warm, dry weather is on the wish list for Manitoba corn farmers as they wait for fields to dry out so they can begin planting. MORE

Healthy soil is the real key to feeding the world

One of the biggest modern myths about agriculture is that organic farming is inherently sustainable. It can be, but it isn’t necessarily. After all, soil erosion from chemical-free tilled fields undermined the Roman Empire and other ancient societies around the world. MORE

Soybeans, corn drop as wheat edges higher

U.S. soybean futures fell on Tuesday for the second day in a row, hitting a one-week low as traders locked in profits from last week’s rally. MORE

U.S. soy acreage forecast at all-time high despite plentiful stocks

U.S. farmers plan to seed a record amount of soybean acreage this spring, even with supplies trending near all-time highs, the government said March 31. MORE

Susan Blair makes her point. An organization has a much better chance of success, she says, when leadership gives clear direction to their teams about what they’re working toward and how they’re expected to achieve it. MORE

Gilbert Farm still at the reins after 6

The first time Fred Gilbert walked into the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, Elvis was an exciting and controversial young performer and the baby boomers were in their teen years. MORE

New Product: Kubota M6S-111

Kubota introduces the latest member of its M-Series, the M6S-111 diesel tractor. The M6S-111 is an ideal solution for producers seeking a single tractor suited for the full range of cattle and hay operations, loader work, mowing and more. MORE

Drone Operators Warned to Watch for Larger Aircraft

When flying a UAV this summer, do everything you can to avoid agricultural aircraft.

Spring, summer and early fall are for many the happiest time of the year. It’s the growing season and growers and those that assist them are working hard nationwide. MORE

Post tucks into British breakfast cereal Weetabix

Post Holdings is buying leading British breakfast cereal brand Weetabix from China’s Bright Food Group for 1.4 billion pounds (C$2.4 billion), giving the U.S.-focused company a European base on which to build. MORE

Innovation PEI, in partnership with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) are seeking interest from PEI-based enterprises and organizations to participate in a multi-sector Business Mission to South Korea during the week of May 15-19, 2017. MORE

This mission will serve to enhance existing export relationships, provide opportunities for market expansion while at the same time providing an exceptional opportunity to introduce companies to this strong market. Korea is the 13th largest economy in the world and is one of the largest importing countries on the planet. P.E.I.’s exports to Korea in 2016 were almost $15 million and Canadian products/suppliers are much sought after for our high quality and reputation to deliver. This mission will be of particular interest to companies in the professional services, ICT, clean tech, education, manufacturing and food sectors. The customization of each delegate’s business development program to advance their mission-week and market objectives will be a core feature of this initiative.

During this week the Seoul Food and Hotel Show will be taking place offering mission participants a chance to see first-hand the breadth of product offering and to gather key market intelligence. While there is a Canada pavilion at this event, P.E.I. will not have a booth at the show for this year. Participants will be able to walk the show. However we will also be exploring this opportunity for future years. For details on the Seoul Hotel and Food Show visit http://www.seoulfoodnhotel.co.kr/

For more information on this mission and to express your interest in participating, please contact either of these mission leads by email or by phone: